"Nightwing hacked the javelin."

"I hacked the javelin!" Nightwing confirmed, bright smile across his face. Despite the fact that he was dripping in sweat, struggling to sit upright, and only half aware of the feat he had just accomplished, he managed to maintain a collected, confident exterior. He sat there smirking, even as he struggled to catch his breath, oblivious to the worried glances shared amongst his teammates.

Eventually it was M'gann who stepped forward to tell him, "Your fever dream also 'hacked' into old memories. Old... feelings." She tentatively added. "We all experienced it."

What was this feeling shooting through him? Shock? Terror? Panic?

Shame.

For letting a fever get the best of him. For so carelessly broadcasting his thoughts into the minds of his closest friends and allies, mid-battle no less. For letting loose all the feelings he had carefully stowed away, all the jealousy, and resentment, and anger he had harboured for so long. The love and longing he had for-

Wally. It really felt like he was here. Even now Dick was resisting the urge to look around the room. To find him. He was here. He was just here. For just a moment, the team was back together. His family was back together. But now…

Now he was alone.

Just him, his now incredibly public private thoughts, and his teammates.

Of all the secrets he might've broadcasted in his fevered state... nobody knew. Not Bruce, not Barbara. Hell, not even Wally had a clue. He planned to take those feelings to the grave. But now…

He couldn't bear to look at them.

The rational side of him tried to reason that he had nothing to worry about. It's not like his friends are judgemental people. M'gann is an alien dating a meta human clone. Kaldur himself had a boyfriend. And Artemis-

Oh, God, Artemis.

He wasn't sure what she would think. And he didn't want to know. Didn't plan on ever finding out. How do you even begin to broach that subject? Hi, just letting you know that I've been in love with my best friend - your dead boyfriend - since we were kids? No.

Dick's head was spinning, and he wasn't quite sure if he could blame the fever anymore.

Snapping back to reality, he realized his friends were staring down at him, waiting for him to respond. Sighing, he tried to think of something to say. What was there to say?

"Yeah" he eloquently mustered, staring down at his feet. He felt like someone had chucked bricks into the pit of his stomach. "Um, sorry." Whether he was apologizing for his actions or his feelings he was not sure. Regardless, he braced for impact.

"Don't be" Artemis dismissed without hesitation, wrapping Dick in her arms. Registering her response, Dick all but collapsed into her arms, returning the hug. He let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding, relief shuddering through his body. "Wally's always fighting at our side. And always will be." She smiles down at him, as he nods a silent 'thank you' back in gratitude.

The moment is swiftly broken up by the sound of Parademons rounding the corner.

"We have to move," Kaldur reminds everyone over the mind link. Turning back to his friend, still worried about his condition he adds, "Dick, if you are not one hundred percent in the game-"

"You kidding?" Nightwing teases, rising to his feet. "I haven't felt this good in years."

And it was true. For this one small moment, in the midst of all this chaos, for once he felt...

Happy.